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Kevin Durant’s run with the Brooklyn Nets has officially come to an end after the former MVP was dealt to the Phoenix Suns before the NBA trade deadline. The team was having a solid campaign, but a Kyrie Irving trade request kickstarted the domino effect that eventually led to Durant’s exit.
Durant’s tenure with the team was a rocky one. He missed an entire season in 2020 due to injury, went to seven games against the Milwaukee Bucks with his two co-stars injured, got busted out of the first round in their last playoff appearance, and he also asked out of Brooklyn prior of the start of the 2023 NBA season before later on rescinding his trade request.
The former Nets superstar recently had the chance to speak to the media during his introductory press conference with his new team the Phoenix Suns. When asked about his tenure with the Nets, Durant had nothing but positive things to say while getting emotional in the process.
“It was a lot of ups and downs, but I love the grind. Everybody in Brooklyn loved the grind too, so I built a family over there. They’re always going to be a part of my journey, so we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish by winning a championship, but I enjoyed the grind. We tried are hardest every day, regardless of what was going on in the media, going on with our teammates.
“I love those guys, I get emotional talking about it because that was a special four years of my career. Coming off an Achilles [tear]. They helped me through a lot. It was terrible how some stuff went down, but at the end of the day, I loved the grind. I wish them the best going forward.”
Kevin Durant is asked how he would sum up his time in Brooklyn, which is met with boos from Suns fans.
An emotional Durant: “I built a family over there. They’re always going to be a part of my journey…I love those guys.” pic.twitter.com/ZJY5CgYlXi
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 16, 2023
